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about us
Established in 1949 by John (Bud) Burke (1915-1979), Burke Engineering Co. has grown and is recognized as a premier distributor of heating, ventilation and air conditioning controls in the Western United States.
Burke Engineering Co. got their modest start when Bud started making toggle switch controls with indicator lights for gravity furnaces in his garage for a hobby. The word soon got out and soon Bud was making more money at his hobby then his daily job. As more contractors came to Bud for his switches, they began to inquire about the availability of other controls. Never one to pass up an opportunity to satisfy his customers, Bud began running around to various "control houses" and gathering specific controls to fulfill his customers requirements. This was the beginning of distribution of various control brands under one roof as we are accustomed to today.
From its start in a garage in 1949 to today, Burke Engineering Co. has continuously added to their product offering while never losing focus of one key ingredient to a successful business..."ask the customer what they want...if it is not illegal or immoral...DO IT!!!" Although this philosophy was not quoted until 1991 by Gary Burke (1940-2001) son of Bud, it has always been and continues to be the key strategy carried out by each one of Burke Engineering Co.'s employees.
Gary Burke earned his way into the role of President in 1972 through his hard work and dedication to the business. In February 1979, Burke EngineeringCo. lost their founder Bud, but moved forward under the guidance of Gary. Over the next two decade gary took several pioneering steps in the wholesale distribution business and aggressively added locations and products to better serve their customers. In the early 80's Burke Engineering Co. led the charge into the building automation and controls business. Under Gary's leadership Burke Engineering Co. more than doubled their number of warehouses and over tripled their sales.
Bold new steps were being pursued in the dawn of the new millennium, when in August 2001 Gary suddenly passed away. Although the loss of Gary was immeasurable, he had groomed generation three for the challenge that awaited them. Today, three of Gary's children are active in and own the business (Craig, Mike and Kelly). Under the watchful eye of Kelly Trolia, President CEO/CFO, Burke Engineering Co. has again begun another strategically planned growth pattern of over 33%.
